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RESEARCH Open Access Medicinal plants of Otwal and Ngai Sub Counties in Oyam District, Northern Uganda Maud M Kamatenesi 1† , Annabel Acipa 2* , Hannington Oryem-Origa 1† Abstract Background: An ethnobotanical study was carried out in four parishes in the Ngai and Otwal Sub Counties in Oyam district, Northern Uganda, where insurgency has been prevalent for the past 20 years. Documenting medicinal plant species used in treating various health conditions among the local people. Methods: Information was obtained from mainly the local population, the traditional healers and other experienced persons through interviews, formal and informal discussions and field excursions. Results: Seventy one plant species were reported for use in the treatment of various diseases in the study area. These plant species belongs to 41 families, with Asteraceae being the most represented. Roots were ranked the commonest plant part used. Oral administration was the most frequently used route of administration. A total of 41 different health conditions wer e reported to be treated by use of medicinal plant species. Thirty nine percent of the recorded plant species were reported for treating stomach related ailments. Conclusion: The use of medicinal plan ts in primary healthcare is still a common practice in Ngai and Otwal Sub Counties. The trust they have is built on the curative outcome properties claimed, poverty and armed conflict that lead to inadequate healthcare facilities. The generation gap caused by the over 20 years of insurgency in the area has brought about knowledge gap on the usage of medicinal plant species between the young and the older generation. Background World wide over 80% of the people depend on medic- inal plant species to meet their day today healthcare needs [1]. Rural househ old of Uganda rely h eavily on plant resources for food, fodder and herbal medicine [2]. Tabuti [2] further asserted that savanna environment contains many plant resources of economic values such as foods and medicines. These resources are widely relied on by rural communities in developing countries because of inefficiencies in service delivery or because social services and goods are unaffordable. For this rea- son many people are currently resorting to traditional medicine for primary health care due to high costs in accessibility, cultural compatibility, self-reliance among others [3]. They also employ herbal medicines because of cultural preferences and perceived effectiveness [4,5]. Medicinal plant species form a main part of treatment for the rural poor. Traditional medicine usage in rural Ugandan population for day-to-day health care needs is close to 90% [6]. Kamatenesi and Oryem [6] further reported that women and children form the bulk of the people reliant on herbal medicine. According to Katuura et al [7], malaria was reported to be the most common condition treated by traditional healers in Mbarara District. The use of traditional herbal remedies is encountered in both rural and urban areas in Mali and that traditional medicine is one of the surest means to achieve total health care coverage for African’spopula- tion [8]. Discourses on the future of traditional medicine in Afri ca and other indigenous societies often assume gov- ernment recognition and integration into the formal health care systems [9]. In certain areas in Nigeria, the only health care provi- ders clo se to the people are the traditional medical prac- titioners [10]. However, it should be noted that medicinal plant species have also been discovered to have other * Correspondence: aamiraclenet@yahoo.co.uk † Contributed equally 2 Institute of Environment and Natural Resources Makerere University, P.O Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda Full list of author information is available at the end of the article Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE © 2011 Kamatenesi et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. uses as some could be used as vegetables, fruits, trees and ornamentals [11]. Health services in Oyam District are inadequate, and only 15 out of the 43 parishes in Oyam District have health facilities. Maternal mortality rate is still high because clean and safe deliveries are at only 14% because it is mainly the traditional birth attendants (TBA) who play a significant role [12]. Methods Study area This study was carried out in Ngai and Otwal sub coun- ties in Oyam District which is situated in northern Uganda on coordinates 02°14’N 32°23’E(Figure1)[13]. The sampling sites were located in the Parishes of Ara- mita, Akuca and Omac from Ngai Sub County and Abela from Otwal Sub-County. The study was con- ducted between August 2007 and February 2008 in Oyam District, Northern Uganda. Data collection Ethnobotanical information was obtained through informed consent semi-structured interviews with ke y informants. The key informants consisted of health workers, renowned herbalists, and local leaders. How- ever, the bulk of the respondents were local residents who were identified through household numbers. Knowledge on the use of medicinal plant species was documented, the local name of plant species, diseases or ailments they treat, part of plant used, methods of pre- paration and administration were recorded. In addition, a total of 84 households were interviewed using questionnaires, after being randomly chosen from the total household list fro m the LC I (Local Councilor One) chairperson. Forty four households from Ngai and another 40 from Otwal Sub Counties were interviewed through the use of questionnaire. Some questions asked included; village of respondent, level of education, knowledge on medicinal plant species among others. For more studies and information, three focus group discussions were conducted in Acandano village in Ngai Sub-County and Abela primary school and Ojwi centre in Otwal Sub-County. In this case the respondents were asked research guid ed questio ns. The groups comprised of children 15, women 20 and men 12. The groups par- ticipated voluntarily at the invitation of LC 1 chai rman. The focus group discussion helped discover the extent of distribution of knowledge on medicinal plant species. Voucher Specimens and Sample Collection Voucher specimens of the documented plant species were collected according to standard practic e, including roots, flowers, and fruit s where possible [14]. Collection only involved samp les that were identified by the respondent. The vouc her specimens were delivered to Makerere University Botany Herbarium where further identification and classification was done. Scientific names of plant species were identified based on Interna- tional Plant Name Index (IPNI: http://www.ipni.org). Results A total of 110 respondents we re interviewed f rom the study area; 46 were females and males were 64 as shown in table 1. From the research findings, 71 medicinal plant species both wild and cultivated belonging to 42 families were documented and identified in the study area (Table 2). The family Asteraceae (5 species) was the most repre- sented followed by Leguminosae and Lamiaceae (4 spe- cies) plant species each; Solanaceae, Poaceae, Eurphorbiaceae, and Zingiberaceae had 3 plant species in each family, and the remaining families had two and one species. With regard to growth habits, the plant species consisted of shrubs (39%), herbs and climbers (36.6%), trees (21%) and grasses (4%). These plant species were mainly obtained from open grassland area (41%), garden or farms (21%), homestead (13%) wooded gras sland 11%, forest (7%) and least num- ber was obtained from swamps (4%) and forest edge (3%). The m ost commonly mentioned plant species by respondents were Clerodendrum umbe llatum P oir (25%) Securidaca longipedunculata Fres. (17%) while the least mentioned among respondents includes; Crotalaria ochro- leuca G.Don, Albizia coriaria Welw (0.9%). Fifty five per- cent of the plant species mentioned w ere used to treat more than one disease and 45% to treat only one disease. A total of plant species documented, 25% were edible and formed part of local diet (Table 2). Fifty five percent of these were used in the treatment of more than one dis ease while 45% were beli eved to treat only one parti- cular disease. The conservation status o f the medicinal plant species is such that only 10% were cultivated and 90% were collected from the wild (Table 2). Roots were the commonest plant parts (57%) being used; followed by leaves (23%) (Figure 2 ). The most underutilized plant part were found to be flowers with only 2% usage, fruits making up 3% and the rest of plant parts harvested making up 4%, 5% and 7% of stems, seeds and bark respectively. Records reveal that a total of 41 conditio ns were trea- ted with medicinal plant parts i n Otwal and Ngai sub- counties in Oyam District. The common condition being treated in Ngai and Otwal sub counties was found to be abdominal pains and this was reported by 11% of the respondents, followed by cough at 10%. Othe r con- ditions such as wounds had 5.6% headache; epilepsy and STD/STI at 4.6%. Those least mentioned at below 1% were impotence, toothache, cholera, fever among others. Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 2 of 14 The most common way of preparing these medicinal plant species was mainly by crushing and extracting using cold water making up an overall 48%. This was followed by crushing plant p arts and applied in that form at 20%. The least mode was found to be burning, and adding the ashes into bath water making up less that 1%. On administration, oral administration through drink- ing was found to be the most frequently used at 69% and the least were through bathing with, massaging and smoking at less than 1%. The main sources of indigenous knowledge o f medic- inal plant species were parents at 40%, grandparents at 35% (Table 3). The least sources of information about Figure 1 Location of Ngai and Otwal Sub Counties in Oyam District in Northern Uganda. Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 3 of 14 medicinal plant species were through dreams at 3.8% and in-laws 2.9%. The use of medicinal plant species was found to be driven mainly by its perceived effectiveness (34%), pov- erty, medical facilities being far (23%) and lack of medi- cines in hospitals (5%) (Table 4). The least use of medicinal plant species was due to referral from medical personnel (3%). Discussion The 71 medicinal plant species of cultivated and wild types were greatly utilized by people of Oyam District as herbal remedies. These plant species fall under 42 families, with the family Asteraceae having the highest number of medicinal plant species. The f amily Astera- ceae was also recorded as having the most number of medicinal plant species as other studies in other areas also reveals [15,16]. Clerodendrum umbellatum, Securi- daca longipedunculata, Clematis hirsuta and Conyza sumaternsis were among the most frequently utilized species. The frequency of mention of a given plant spe- cies could be an indication of the prevalence of a given condition it can treat and its therapeutic values. Roots were the most commonly harvested plant part of the medicinal plants compared to any other part. This form of harvesting ho wever, is threatening to the survival of the plant. Plant species such as Lantana camara, Urtica massaica had leaves and roots being harvested. Harvesting of two or more plant pa rts can be more damaging especially when the roots and barks/ stem are harvested. Thus from the conservation point of view, the high utilization of roots of plant species in Oyam District put these plant species at a risk because of the damages inflicted on the plant species. This was also noted in other areas [6]. Many of these plant species treated more than one con- dition and are being used in combination. Thi s pattern of using medicinal plant species for varying conditions was also observed among the local communities in Mabira Forest Reserve area [15]. However, it was found that locals usually mix the medicinal plant species to ensure effectiveness in treating a given ailment [17,18]. This was also observed in Ngai Sub County, where the extent of knowledge of medicinal plant mixing determined the success of a traditional healer. Medicinal plant are strongly believed by the local people of Ngai and Otwal to be effective and this among other reasons explain why they have continued to use them, thus their reliance on them for basic healthcare. This trend was also observed among the people living around Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda [3,6] Abdominal pain and cough were the most frequently treated ailments. These are diseases associated with per- sonal hygiene. The study area has had IDP camps which was always associated with poor hygiene and over- crowding. The high frequency of mention of these dis- eases were directly associated with the high prevalence ofthesediseasesinthearea.Thisgoesontoexplain why many of the medicinal plant species mentioned were used for treating these ailmen ts indicating wide- spread knowledge of medicinal plant species used for their t reatment. For example, 25% of respondents men- tioned that Clerodendrum umbellatum was used for treatment of abdominal pain. The most common method of preparation of medic- inal plant species before being administered was found to be applied to most plant species. This involved crush- ing and extracting plant materials using cold/warm water and boi ling. Those that were boiled were effec- tively extracted compared to use of cold water, since boiling also preserves the medicine longer. Oral admin- istration was noted as number one mode of dispensing of herbal medici ne. This mode of administration of her- bal medicine was also reported elsewhere [6,18]. Some of these plant species are popular and used all over Uganda and are on sale in most markets. For instance Cleome gynandra, Cajanus cajan, Vitallaria paradoxum, Capsicum frutescens were found to be sources of food and were being eaten not only locally but also nationally and internationally [3]. Some studies carried out in and outside Uganda showed that some of these plant species were potent as medicine. A plant like Aspilia africana, is said to have high antiplas- modial activity [19]. Some other plant species mentioned elsewhere as medicine include Cassia occidentalis which is used in Burkina Faso as stimulant [3]. Conservation issues It should be noted that a high percentage of these plant species are harvested from the wild, but with no consid- eration for domestication hence threatening their exis- tence. The plant species are being overexploited, and the rapid environmental degradation coupled with insur- gency has put mounting pressure on the environment. This may lead to the disappearance of many species of medicinal plants of economic value. According to one of the local traditional practitioners, Okell o Okiko, the use of medicinal plant species is becoming expensive since Table 1 Total number of respondents that were interviewed in the study area Respondents Total Males Females 64 (58%) 46 (42%) 110 Age Characteristics of Respondents 13-24 years 25-37 years 38-49 years 50 years and above 17 (15%) 32 (29%) 27 (25%) 34 (31%) Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 4 of 14 Table 2 Medicinal plants their habits, growth habit, frequency of mention, plant part used, diseases treated, methods of preparation and administration Family Taxon Habitat Habit Plant part used Disease Number of diseases treated Freq of mention of plant Methods of Preparation Administration Amaranthaceae Pupalia lappacea Juss. AA-49-07 Wooded grassland SH R Syphilis 1 2 Crushed, boiled* Extract drunk Anacardiaceae Mangifera indica L. AA-53-07 Homestead T B Diarrhoea 2 8 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk twice a day R Cough Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk Apocynaceae Carissa edulis (Forssk) Vahl. AA-59-07 Grassland SH R Epilepsy 2 3 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drink S Abdominal pain Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk Asclepiadaceae Mondia whiteii Skeels AA-57-07 Forest C R Flu, cold 4 8 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Abdominal pain Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk twice a day R Headache, cough Picked, cleaned Chewed Asparagaceae Asparagus africanus Hochst. ex.A. Rich AA-48-07 Open grassland SH R Swollen body 1 4 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk one glass twice a day , rub on skin cuts Asteraceae Acmela canlirhiza Delile AA-64-07 Garden edge, road side H R, L Cough 2 2 Dried, powdered Extract drunk three teaspoon twice a day R Retained placenta Crushed, mixed in warm water* Extract drunk Biden pilosa L. AA-47-07 Garden H L Wounds 1 3 Dried, powdered Applied on wound Echinops amplexicaulis Oliv. AA-07-07 Open grassland SH R Hydrocelle 7 7 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk three times a day R Hernia scrotal Crushed, mixed in cold water* Extract drunk R Stomachache Crushed , boiled Extract drunk 200 ml once a day R TB Crushed, boiled Extract drunk quarter glass for adults twice a day, two spoonful twice a day for children R snake bite, whooping cough, syphilis Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk one glass twice a day Conyza sumatrensis (Retz.) E.Walker AA-35-07 Open grassland SH L Wounds 3 12 Crushed Juice onto fresh wound Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 5 of 14 Table 2 Medicinal plants their habits, growth habit, frequency of mention, plant part used, diseases treated, methods of preparation and administration (Continued) L Sore throat Picked, cleaned Chewed, juice swallowed three times a day L Ring worm Crushed Extract rubbed on affected part once a day Aspilia africana C. D Adams AA-37-07 Open grassland Abandoned gardens, road side SH R Sore throat 8 3 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Diarrhoea, dysentery Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk quarter a glass three times a day R Body cleanser Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Antidote Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Wounds Crushed Juice squeezed onto wound R Induce appetite Picked, cleaned Chewed, juice swallowed R snake bite Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk Microglossa pyrifolia (Cam) O. Ktze AA-36-07 Wooded grassland SH R Anti venom 2 2 Crushed Rubbed on skin cuts L Epilepsy Crushed, added in bath water Used for bathing, burnt in patient room Vernonia amygdalina Del. AA-46-07 Open grassland SH R Cough 9 10 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Abdominal pain Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk twice a day L Wound Crushed Extract applied on wound L Malaria Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Swollen stomach Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Hernia Dried, powdered Extract drunk 10 ml twice a day, extract rubbed on skin cuts R Headache Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk 2 spoonful thrice a day R STI Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk 500 ml thrice a day R Diarrhoea Crushed, mixed in warm water Extract drunk 500 ml once a day Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7 :7 http://ww w.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 6 of 14 Table 2 Medicinal plants their habits, growth habit, frequency of mention, plant part used, diseases treated, methods of preparation and administration (Continued) Vernonia sp. AA-02-07 Open grassland, garden H R, L Backbone disease 1 3 Crushed, boiled , Heated over fire Extract drunk , heated leaves massage body twice a day Bignoniaceae Markhamia platycalyx Sprague AA-54-07 Wooded grassland T R Ease child bearing, Induces labour 1 1 Crushed, mixed in warm water Extract drunk one glass once a day Stereospermum kunthianum Cham. AA-55-07 Wooded grassland T R Wounds 1 1 Dried, powdered Applied on wound Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth AA-60-07 Wooded grassland T L Eye disease 3 2 Crushed Squeezed in eye B Poison antidote Crushed, boiled Extract drunk once a day S Impotence Dried, powdered Extract drunk, eaten. Caesalpiniaceae Cassia siamea Lam. AA-56-07 Semi cultivated T R Sore throat 2 4 Crushed and mixed in cold water Extract drunk L Abdominal pain Picked, cleaned Chewed, liquid swallowed Capparaceae Cleome gynandra L.AA-61-07 Homestead, garden H L Headache 3 5 Crushed Rubbed on forehead L Ring worm Crushed Rubbed on affected area R Eye disease Crushed Dropped in eye Caricaceae Carica papaya L. AA-43-07 Homestead T R body pain by witch craft 1 3 Crushed Rubbed on body twice a day Celastraceae Maytenus senegalensis (Lam) Exell AA-45-07 Forest T R Epilepsy 2 1 Crushed, mixed in cold water* Extract drunk 50 ml three times a day R Miscarriage Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk 300 ml two times a day Chenopodiaceae Chenopodium ambrosioides L. AA-50-07 Around home stead H L Headache 2 4 Crushed, mixed in hot water Steam inhaled, heated leaves placed on face L Epilepsy Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk 25 ml twice a day, applied on skin cuts Combretaceae Combretum molle R.Br.G. Don AA-44-07 Swampy area, forest edge T R Cough 1 1 Dried, powdered added into one glass of water Drunk twice a day Combretum collinum Fresen AA-42-07 Open grassland T L Cough 4 12 Crushed, mixed in cold water* Extract drunk twice a day R, B Wounds Crushed Juice squeezed on wound R, B Diarrhoea, Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk 4 teaspoon twice a day R, B Abdominal pain Crushed, mixed in cold water Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 7 of 14 Table 2 Medicinal plants their habits, growth habit, frequency of mention, plant part used, diseases treated, methods of preparation and administration (Continued) Cucurbitaceae Cucurbita maxima Wall. AA-38-07 Gardens, antihill C R Abdominal pain 1 1 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk Momordica foetida Schum. AA-52-07 Antihill C R STI 3 2 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk one glass once a day R Cough, abdominal pain Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk one glass twice a day Kedrostis foetidissima Cogn. AA-41-07 Open grassland C R Measles 1 1 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk once a day Dioscoreaceae Dioscorea sp AA-62-07 Garden H L Loss of appetite 1 1 Crushed, boiled Eaten Eurphorbiaceae Euphorbia hirta L. AA-71-07 Garden, along roadside H R Cough 2 6 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk three times a day St Fresh wound Sap collected Applied on wound two times a day Fluggae virosa (Willd.) Voigt AA-40-07 Wooded grassland SH R Miscarriage 1 2 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk 250 ml twice a day Fabaceae Piliostigma thonningii (Schumach.) Milne-Redh. AA-44-07 Open grassland T L STI 2 6 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk 750 ml thrice a day St Diarrhoea Crushed, mixed in warm water Drink one teaspoon a day Cassia nigricans Vahl. AA-31-07 Open grassland SH St Wound 3 2 Crushed Apply on skin cuts L Worms Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk L Stomachache Crushed Smear on stomach Erythrina abyssinica Lam. AA-29-07 Grassland T R Toothache 1 2 Crushed, boiled Massage tooth Labiatae Hoslundia opposita Vahl. AA-09-07 Open grass land H R Epilepsy 2 6 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk two times a day, applied as nasal drop. R Whole body swelling Crushed, boiled Extract drunk Lamiaceae Clerodendrum myricoides R.Br. & Vatke AA-30-07 Open grassland S R Body pains 2 4 Crushed Rub on skin cuts R Cataracts Crushed Extract dropped in eye twice a day Ocimum basilicum L. AA-32-07 Compound edge H L Eye cataract 3 3 Crushed Extract squeezed, dropped in eye twice a day L Fever Crushed, mixed in warm water Massage body, add in bathing water L Malaria Crushed, mixed in warm water Extract drunk Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 8 of 14 Table 2 Medicinal plants their habits, growth habit, frequency of mention, plant part used, diseases treated, methods of preparation and administration (Continued) Vitex doniana Sweet AA-25-07 Wooded grassland T R Eye disease 1 1 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract dropped in eye Leguminosae Rhynchosia densiflora Wall. AA-27-07 Wooded grassland SH R Dysentery 1 8 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk two teaspoon twice a day Indigofera arrecta Hochst.ex. A. Rich AA-26-07 Open garden SH L Body swelling 4 5 Crushed Rubbed on skin R Round worms Crushed, mixed in warm water Extract drunk 200 ml once a day R Headache Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Sore throat Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk twice a day Acacia hockii De Wild AA-24-07 Open grassland T R Malaria + cough 1 1 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk two times a day Acacia sieberiana Tausch AA-23-07 Wooded grassland T R Epilepsy 2 1 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Dysentery Crushed, mixed in cold water* Extract drunk half a Aglass two times a day Loganiaceae Strychnos innocua Delile. AA-12-07 Swamps T R Witchcraft 1 1 Crushed, mixed in cold water Extract sprinkled on patient Meliaceae Trichilia capensis Pers. AA-22-07 Grassland, SH R Stomachache 8 6 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk 50 ml once a day R Stops miscarriage Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk half glass twice a day R West pain Dried , powdered Powder added in water making 10 ml , drunk two times a day R Urine pain Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk two times a day R Back ache after birth Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk R Worms Crushed, mixed in water Extract drunk R Diarrhoea, cough Crushed , boiled Extract drunk 200 ml once a day Trichilia emetica Vahl. AA-21-07 Open grassland H R Snake bite 3 11 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk, crushed leaves rubbed on skin cuts R Stomachache Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk once a day R prevent poison Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 9 of 14 Table 2 Medicinal plants their habits, growth habit, frequency of mention, plant part used, diseases treated, methods of preparation and administration (Continued) Menispermaceae Cissampelos mucronata A.Rich. AA-33-07 Garden edges H R Abdominal pain 1 1 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk three times a day Mimosaceae Albizia coriaria Welw. AA-58-07 Wooded grassland T B Diarrhoea 1 1 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk Moraceae Ficus vallis Chaude AA-20-07 Wooded grassland T R Dysentery, diarrhea 3 7 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk half glass once a day B Ring worm Sap collected Smeared on affected area twice a day Musaceae Musa spp AA-69-07 Garden T F Diarrhoea 3 1 Sap collected Sap drunk thrice a day Fl Wound Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract applied on wound B Ring worm Crushed Smear on affected area once a day Myrtaceae Eucalyptus globulus Labill. AA-68-07 Home stead T L Cough 1 5 Crushed , boiled Extract drunk four teaspoon twice a day Papilionaceae Crotalaria ochroleuca G.Don AA-04-07 Garden SH L Stomachache 1 1 Crushed , boiled Eaten Cajanus cajan (L.) Druce AA-17-07 Garden SH L Malaria 1 1 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk 100 ml once a day Poaceae Imperata cylindra P.Beauv. AA-67-07 Open grassland G R Abdominal pain 1 1 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk Pennisetum trachyphyllum Pilg. AA-66-07 Garden, dry land G R Abdominal pain 1 1 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk Sporobulus africanus (Poir.) Roebyns AA-65-07 Open grassland G R Retained placenta 1 2 Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk500 ml once a day Polygolaceae Securidaca longipedun culata Fres. AA-19-07 Open grassland T R Body pains, 4 19 Crushed Rubbed on skin cuts once a day R Headache Crushed Rubbed on skin cuts once a day R Skin disease Crushed , mixed in cold water Rubbed on affected area three times a day R Body ache due to witchcraft Crushed , mixed in cold water Rubbed on skin cuts once a day Ranunculaceae Clematis hirusta Guill. & Perr. AA-05-07 Anthill on Open grassland H R Swelling 4 14 Crushed Massage affected area R STI Crushed , mixed in cold water Extract drunk two glass thrice a day R Cough Crushed , boiled Extract drunk twice a day Fl Flu Crushed Inhaled Kamatenesi et al. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011, 7:7 http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/7/1/7 Page 10 of 14 [...]... 2007, 3:26 Okello J, Ssegawa P: Medicinal plant species used by communities of Ngai Sub county, Apac District, northern Uganda African Journal of Ecology 2007, 45:76-83 Bhattarai Shandesh, Chaudhary PRam, Quave LCassandra, Taylor SLRobin: The use of medicinal plant species in the trans-himalayan arid zone of Mustang district, Nepal Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2010, 6:14 Waako PJ, Katuura... some of these medicinal plant species are disappearing very first The disappearance of medicinal plant species can be attributed to over use, agricultural activities and insecurity Domestication of medicinal plant species is probably not taken seriously The use of medicinal plant species in primary health care is still a common practice in Ngai and Otwal Sub- County The inadequate health services and. .. diversity, modes of utilisation PhD thesis Agricultural University of Norway; 2003 3 Kamatenesi MM, Makawiti DW, Oryem-Origa H, Olwa-Odyek : Enthnopharmacological screenings of Vernonia amygdalina and Cleome gynandra traditionally used in child birth in Western Uganda.Edited by: Midwo JO, Yenesew Abiy, Derese Solomon 2005, 81-89, the proceeding of the 11th NAPRECA Symposium on natural products and drug... lack medicines 7 5 Advice from medical workers 4 3 Easy to access 12 8 Conclusions The 71 medicinal plant species of cultivated and wild types were greatly utilized for treating a total of 41 different ailments by people of Ngai and Otwal Sub Counties Thirty nine percent of the recorded plant species were reported for treating stomach related ailments The most commonly mentioned plant species by respondents... medicinal plant species as a source of lead compounds for development of new antimalarial drugs African Journal of Ecology 2007, 45(Suppl 1):102-106, 5 Alexis Okeowo: “Sex tree”, other medicinal plant species near extinction in Uganda National Geographic News 2007 doi:10.1186/1746-4269-7-7 Cite this article as: Kamatenesi et al.: Medicinal plants of Otwal and Ngai Sub Counties in Oyam District, Northern. .. among the people of Ngai and Otwal sub counties in Oyam District Source of information Frequency Percentage Parents Peers 42 5 40 4.8 35.6 Grandparents 37 Traditional healers 13 13 In laws 3 2.9 Dreams 4 3.8 Total 104 100.1 Table 4 Showing why medicinal plant species are in use Reason for use Frequency % Medical facilities far 35 23 Poverty 35 23 Conventional medicine don’t work 7 5 Medicinal plant species... Complementary and Alternative Medicines 2005, 2(1):46-61 Ibe AE, Nwufo Martin I: Identification, Collection and Domestication of Medicinal Plant species in Southeastern Nigeria Africa Development 2005, 30:66-77 Oyam District Achievements One Year of Development - June 2006 May 2007 [http://www.enteruganda.com/brochures /oyam0 5.htm] Oyam District [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Oyam_ District] Martins GJ: Ethnobotany:... Sterospermum kunthianum and Trichilia emetica used in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea in Mali (abstract) The 12th NAPRECA Symposium 2007, 40 Tsey Komla: Traditional medicine in contemporary Ghana: A public policy analysis Social Science & Medicine 1997, 45:1065-1074 Elujoba A, Odeleye M, Ogunyemi CM: Traditional medicine development for medical and Dental primary health care delivery system in Africa Afr J... problem, data analysis and drafting as well as enrichment of the manuscript All authors read and approved the final manuscript 17 18 19 20 Katuura E, Waako P, Ogwal-Okeng J, Bukenya-Ziraba R: Traditional treatment of malaria in Mbarara District, western Uganda African Journal of Ecology 2007, 45(Suppl 1):48-51 Rukia Sanogo: Analgesic and anti-inflamatory activities of the aqueous extracts of Maytenus senegalensis,... Our most sincere gratitude to the sponsor, NORAD Medicinal plant species Project through the Department of Botany Makerere University, The Staff of Ngai Health Center III, Field assistant, leaders of Lango Cultural Center, local leaders, traditional healers, traditional birth attendants, the resource users and all respondents, in Ngai and Otwal Sub counties in Oyam Districts who provided the information . al.: Medicinal plants of Otwal and Ngai Sub Counties in Oyam District, Northern Uganda. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2011 7:7. Submit your next manuscript to BioMed Central and take. out in four parishes in the Ngai and Otwal Sub Counties in Oyam district, Northern Uganda, where insurgency has been prevalent for the past 20 years. Documenting medicinal plant species used in. least sources of information about Figure 1 Location of Ngai and Otwal Sub Counties in Oyam District in Northern Uganda. Kamatenesi et al. 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